BERN, Switzerland (AP) 鈥� The soccer league in FIFA鈥檚 home country Switzerland is not interested in -style splitting games into four quarters.
The Swiss Football League said Wednesday 鈥渉ydration breaks鈥� are not planned in its games next season. with two 6 p.m. kickoffs, then games at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. the next day.
during the World Cup with some evening temperatures around 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
FIFA ordered three-minute breaks midway through each half of all 104 World Cup games to let players hydrate, regardless of the temperature or if the stadium is cooled under a roof.
Critics of 鈥渉ydration breaks鈥� say the stoppages and are designed, as well as to protect players鈥� health, to give broadcasters who paid FIFA a collective billions of dollars for World Cup rights time to sell more advertising.
The Swiss league joins European soccer body UEFA in stating they will continue to apply drinks breaks only 鈥渨hen temperatures justify it鈥� after a pre-game agreement with teams.
The first high-profile drinks breaks in soccer involved Lionel Messi at the 2008 Olympics. kicked off at midday in Beijing and play stopped for less than two minutes in each half during Argentina鈥檚 1-0 win over Nigeria.
FIFA enforced cooling breaks also at some games during the 2014 World Cup.
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